Because this year marks the Awards’ 25th anniversary, we’re counting off the top 25 reasons why you should attend the OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards Dinner. In our first installment, you read about the possible discovery of a sixth taste and an ode to Tom Holce, for whom our Awards Dinner is named. This week, we bring you five more compelling considerations for catching this conspicuous celebration.

Ready or not, here come reasons #6 – 10!

6. Open your senses to fresh new ideas.

You’ve been working hard all day (and night) developing your products, crafting and honing your pitches, and chasing your dream. But, be careful! All that focus may create the risk of developing tunnel vision. Attending the Tom Holce Awards Dinner will offer you the opportunity to see, hear, smell and even taste some fresh new ideas and perspectives that may help you solve that problem you’ve been working on.

7. Camaraderie

Entrepreneurs from around the state often tell us they can feel isolated when just starting out. What’s a new entrepreneur to do? Sure, there are meetup groups and networking events you might consider. And then, there’s the OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards Dinner—the annual event where you can meet and form bonds with other entrepreneurs who have the same hopes and challenges that you do.

8. Meet the OEN team

Over the last two years, OEN has gone through an exciting staff reformation, resulting in new team members, new board members, exciting in-office promotions, and an expansion of our statewide network of Venture Catalysts. With an active and engaged Board of Directors, a passionate group of volunteers, and an extensive network of entrepreneurial rockstars supporting us, our small and mighty team of five—Maggie, Julie, Marissa, Clara, and Miles—continues to produce an average of 70 events per year. Come and meet us in person, and learn more about how we can support your business!

9. Find a co-founder.

Jobs and Wozniaki. Ben and Jerry. Larry and Sergey. Whether you’re an investor, an artist, a recent college graduate, or just someone with a business idea you’re passionate about, the time may come when you want to start your own business. And when you do, you may want a co-founder that wants it as much as you do. A unique event like the Tom Holce Awards Dinner, where over 500 players in the business and startup communities convene every year, offers you numberless opportunities to meet the Bill Gates to your Paul Allen.

10. Honor hard-working entrepreneurs.

AWS Elemental. Ruby Receptionists. Salt & Straw. Urban Airship. Vacasa. The list of just a few of the Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards winners from recent years reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of Oregon businesses. The Tom Holce Awards Dinner is dedicated to honoring the entrepreneurs whose ideas, hard work and persistence have sparked so many of today’s most successful businesses. As Oregon’s premier network for supporting small business ingenuity and scalability, we’re at the forefront of entrepreneurship in a state that’s a nationally recognized leader in small business growth and productivity. Now, that’s a reason to celebrate.

We hope you’ll join us on Wednesday, October 24 to celebrate the skill, courage, and grit it takes for entrepreneurs to create a business out of an idea.

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Stay tuned for reasons #11 through #15 coming in two weeks!

This year is the 25th anniversary of the OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards Dinner. Visit our Awards info page for more information and to buy your ticket today. Can you think of another reason to go to this exciting event? Do you have a good story from a past Awards Dinner? Comment below and let us know!